Vehicle jack



' Oct. 25, 1932.

J. H. BURKHOLDER VEHICLE JACK Filed Sept. 20, 1928 4 Sheets-Sheetv l Oct. 25, 1932. B' URKHQLDE 1,885,074

-- VEHICLE JACK Filed Sept. 20, 1928 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 anon wow JOHN H-BURKHULDER atbozwu 0ct. 25, 1932. J. H. BURKHOLDER VEHICLE JACK 4Sheets-Sheet- 2':

Filed Sept 20. 1928 attuned Oct. 25, 1932. J. H. BURKHOLDER VEHICLE JACK Filed Sept. 20, 1928 4 Sheets$heet 4 WEE; II-

l////////// V E W JOHN H 'BURK HOLD! R W, W404 W.

than:

Patented Oct. 25, 1932 UNITED STATES JOHN n. neraxnoztnnaor ASHL/AND, onto, ASSIGNOR, BY vIVIIESLTEt A S SIG1\T 11IIZE1\TTS,J30

ELITE MANUFACTURING co'MPA'Nm A conroInmIon-or OHIO s VEHICLE JAC Application filed September 20,1928. Serial naeoaoas.

I The present invention relates to" vehicle jacks, and more particularlyto an lmprovement in wheeled jacks in which; ratchet means and an oscillatoryjleveri are used to.- raise and lower a vehicle or otherload. The

present jack structure is relatively low in heightso that it may be readilywhee'led-un derneath the body of an automobile. In that position the handle; may be oscillated and the operating means easily controlled at a remote distance fromthe lifting parts either to raise or lower, the load. In gen eral the object of the invention is to provide 7 a jack of'that type with improved means and 5 devices for efiectivelycontrolling and safe-' guarding theraisin'g and lowering operations, all as hereinafter explained ln greater detail; s

In the accompanying drawings, Fig.1 is atop view of the jack, showing a portion of the operating handle broken away, and Fig. 2 is a side view thereof. Fig.- 3 is a sectional view horizontally through the lifting 'members and a portion of the frame." Fig. 4 is an enlarged sectional view vertically through the central partof the jack. Fig. 5 is areduced View, of the jack, largely diagram: matic to illustrate a lifting operation. Fig. 6 is aside elevation and sectional view of the ack with portions thereof broken away in places .to more clearly disclose the controllingdevices. F1 gs.7and8 are diagrams matic views illustrat ng different ratcheting s operations which occur at. successiveinter-f vals in lowering .a' load. Fig. 9 Lisa trans-,-

verse vertical section, on line 9.9 of 6, and Fig. 10 is a similar view von line 10-710 of Fig; 6, Figs. 11 and 12 are perspective I I views of the two pawls which co-act with" 10 the segmental ratchet teeth in raising and.

lowering the load; Fig. 13 .is a perspective view of the slidable controlling member for the operating pawls. Fig. 14 is a perspective View of thegravit-y dog which is used-to supa port an extensible rack upon the main lift member.

' structurally considered the jack consists of a skeleton frame made'oftwo vertical side members 2 -2 rigidly connected. in parallel spaced relation by tw'o'axles- 3 3 and three cross shafts, or bolts, 4, 5:, and 6,' respectively.

Whels '7 uponax'les 3i-3 support the frame movablyupon. a fio or,'and a relativel long tubular handle or lever 8permits the ]a-ck to begshiftedtoand fro'with ease and .conven ience. Handle or lever '8 is also the main op erating member for'the jack, being pivotally connected to cross bolt 4at one end of the frame. Thepivotalconnecting'partsfor the lever consist :of two triangular pieces 99 which are bolted at their longerends to the o 'ap'osite s ides of one end of 'thelever and i a suspended from cross shaft4 at their upper corresponding angular corners, thus permitting the lever to be oscillated .inajvertica'l plane. The lower angular corners .of trianguprojecting ends of whicha yokemember 11 is attached. "The triangular. pieces operate in effect as crank memberspwhereby a power} fiil thrust movement may be imparted through yoke .11 to'a sliortzconnectingpin at one'end to the upper shaft or bolt 6inthe jack frame. The free ends of arms 18 and 19, respectively, are pivot-ally connected to 'a'hollow standa'rd '20 carrying a rack bar 21. lift member 22 is pinned at its top to the-upper end of rack bar 21, andthe load is engaged and lifted either-by the head 23' 01 a step 23 on member '22 when" pawl'13 engages the ratchet 16 rotates-segment 17; on lts axis. However, before operatingthe jack mechanism, the lift' member 22 may be elevated independently by hand to a near engaging position with the1load and locked,

or held thereat by a spring-pressed dog 24 which ispivoted on the connecting'pin 25 for the upper parallel arm or link 19. Rack bar 21' is slidably confined within hollow standard 20, and lift member 22 is of U-shape in cross'section to embrace and slidably engage three of the outer sides of the standard. The rack bar and lift member may also be lowered in respect to the standard by disengaging dog 24 from the rack teeth by hand or automatically. For thatpurpose dog 24 is provided at its upper end with a lateral finto control the working positions of the main actuating pawl 13 and a holding pawl 29, the latter pawl being pivotally mounted upon the cross shaft or bolt 4 centrally between the triangular cranking sections or pieces 99 for the handle or lever 8. In oscillating the handle or lever to either raise or lower the load the two pawls 13 and 29 engagedifferent ratchet teeth 16 alternately to support the load. However the respective movements of the two pawls difier in raising and lowering operations. Thus in raising a load step by step, both pawls may be held in constant working contact with ratchet teeth 16 by separate coiled springs 30 and 31, respectively,

whereas in lowering the load, step by step, it is necessary to retire the holding pawl and hold it inactive for an interval against the tension of its spring to permit each toothto pass the pawl in an upward direction step by step. In lowering a load withthe present jack a morepowerful spring 32 isattached to reciprocable bar 28 to counter-check at certain intervals the weaker springs for pawls 13 and 29, and also. the individual spring for dog 24. For that purpose bar 28 is slidably supported and provided with several projecting portions adapted to come into con tact at timed intervals with both pawls and the dog. There are three such contact portions on the bar; first, a lateral fingeraatIits upper rear end immediately adjacent a vertical projection a on holding pawl 29 second, an angular branch b depending from the lower part of the bar abovepawl 13 .andbehind a vertical projection by on the pawl above its pivot; and third, a slanting nose or extension c at the front end of the bar directly opposite the side lug 27 on dog 24 below its pivot.

'Reciprocable bar 28 is slotted longitudinally at its rear end to receive and rest upon an inwardly-projecting hub 33 on one of the triangular pieces 9, see Figs. 6 and 10, while the front end of the bar is provided with a shouldered supporting linger 34 which ex tends laterally through a horizontal slot 35 in the adjacent side member 2 of the jack frame, see Figs. 2 and 3. The outer end of finger 34is provided with a washer 36 or other means to ,hold bar '28 in slidable connection with side member 2, and the counterchecking spring 32 is attached at one end to a lug 37 at the inner side of the same side member 2 and at its opposite end to a side lug 38 on bar 28, see Fig. 3. Spring 32 tends to pull bar 28 constantly forward, and this tension of the spring is utilized at times to lock and hold the bar out of action or in an inactive position upon drawing bar 28 rearwardly by a rod 39 which may be locked in a fine 1 position by its-bent extremity 40. Thus, rod 39 is hooked pivotally to one end of bar 28 and extends rearwardly therefrom along the top of handle 8 to a keeper 41 riveted or otherwise afiiXed to the handle. The bent extremity is projected to one side of handle 8 and rests in asliding positionupon a longitudinal rib 42 on keeper4l until the rod is pulled and the angular extremity 40 isfree to drop or to be pressed down behind the vertical end edge 43 of rib 42 where locking is effected.

Assuming the rod to'be looked as described the jack may be used to raise a load. In that operation the first noveinent of the handle or operating lever is upward, thus rotating it on ivot bolt 4 and causin the sus iensor links for pawl 13 to swing and carry the pawl upwardly in an arev over the ratchet teeth 16 but only a distance sufficient. to clear one tooth. In the meantime holding pawl 29 is engaginga tooth on segmentl'? to support the load. Also finger --a. onbar 28 is in a retired position so as not to preventfree rocking of pawl 29'on its pivot under the action of its coiled spring 31. Accordingly, when a reverse or 'downward movement of lever 8 takes place active pawl 13 engages a tooth and segment 17 is rotated in a direction which raises lift member 22, andthe ratchet tooth engaged by the holding pawl moves in the same direction until this pawl clears another tooth and is caused by its spring to engage it and relieve active pawl 13 of the load. Lever 8 may then be moved upward again and the same operations repeated any number of times within the working limits of the jack. A lowering operation involves a different setting ofreciprocablebar 28 andro d 39, therefore the first proceeding is to'unloclrr'od- 39 from keeper 41, thereby permitting bar 28 to be drown forward by spring 32 so that the action of active pawl 13,holding pawl 29, dog 24, may be automatically controlled,

v For example, it is assumed that lift member 22 is in an elevated position carrying a heavy weight or load with lever 8 in a substantially horizontal position at the beginning of the lowering operation, and that the active pawl 13 and the holding pawl 29 are each engaged with separate teeth on rotatable segment 17.

The operator may then lower the load by depressing lever 8 slightly, which movement forces active pawl13 forward and rotates segment 1'? correspondingly against the weight of the load. The 'rotative movement of segment 17 unlocks holding pawl 29 from the ment the handle or lever- 8 is lifted or raised ratchet tooth with'whichithas been engaged,

and the strong spring 32 pulls bar '28 forward andpresses finger 'w on thebar against the vertical, projection a" on holding pawl 29, thereby overcoming weaker spring 31 the load while it movesrearwardly,thus per mitting the vertical projection b on pawl-13 to engage and press the depending branch I) on bar28 rearward-1y aficorresponding distance, thereby carrying finger a-r-zraway' from projection 64 ion theholding :pawl :and permitting the weaker spring 31 for this pawl to swing the pawl toward and into-engagement with a ratchet tooth. Pawl 29 now holds ratchet member 17 from furtherrot-ation and the load is supported thereby at a lower elevation than formerly while lever 8 is inclined upwardly with pawl 13 still engaged with a ratchet tooth, To releasepawl 13 and complete the cycle of movements necessary to position the parts for another lowering movesliqhtly above thei'point where it rests .normallyafter the load 'c'omesto a state of rest.- Thus pawl .13 is pulledrearwardly whenfthe lever is lifted, while holding pawl29 prevents ratchet-Lmember 17 from moving in'the same direction. Spring 32 then pulls barT28 for; ward and the depending branch onthe bar presses against the vertical l-u'g b onfpawll?) and tilts the pawl downwardly out 10f engagement with the ratchet teeth The weight of lever 8 now causes it to drop and carry pawl 13 forwardly opposite another ratchet tooth on rotatable member 17 Bar 28 follows this movement but is brought to a stop by: hub 33 thereby permitting projection b, to move apart from depending part b 'on' the bar, whereupon .the weaker controlling spring, 30 swings the pawl upwardly behind a ratchet tooth on rotatable memberli'. The working parts are now in the same position vas at'the beginning to produce a second lowering op.- eration, that is, a further lowering movement may be produced by'repeating the steps 'dee scribed, l 14 Upon completing lowering operations and ringing the load to a rest position upon some other support than'the jack, it isof advantage to collapse or telescope the extensible member 22 within hollow standard 20. This result is I l effected automatically by bar 28 after the jack has :been relieved of its load; Thus, when bar 28 is drawn forward to its limit-by spring 32 the nose or extension 0 at the front end of the bar'engages or is engaged by the side h1g2? on dog 24:, thereby tilting the vdog.

out ofcontact with the teeth on rackbar 21." Thereupon, lift member 22 drops by gravity to a placeof rest uponhollowastandard.20.

However, lift-member 22 will not drop when a load is-supported thereon, inasmuch as the pulling power of spring 32 on bar 28 is not,

suiiicient in '-itself to unlock and release the dog-from therack bar while these parts are subjected to a heavy-pressure from above. Whatlclainn-is: v

15A vehicle,jaclnincluding a frame, a ratchet member rotatably supported upon said frame, a lift member operatively con nected with'said ratchet member, a holding pawl forvsaid ratchet member, an activepaw suspendedto swinginirespect to said ratchet member, an oscillatory lever connected with said active pawl, a longitudinally "movable barjsl-ida'bly mountel upon said frame and positively engageable with each of saidpawls,

and a spring-for, controlling the longitudinal movement of said. bar in; one dlIGCtlOll, said activepawl, being engageable with said bar to move it in anopposite direction during the lowering movement of said lift member.

2. A vehicle jack, including a frame, a rotatable se ment having ratchet teeth rotatably supported upon said frame, a lift member linked to said segment, and a holding pawl andvan operating pawl engageable with said teeth, springs controlling the movement of said pawl's, a longitudinally'movable bar slidably mounted upon said frameghaving projecting portions to positively engage said, pawls, a spring to control the movement of said bar-and anoscillatory. lever connected 'withsaidoperatingpawl;

3; A vehicle ijack, including aframe, arotatable segment supported upon said frame having ratchet teeth and'a rigid arm, a lift member connected to said arm, a link parallel to said arm connecting said lift member to said frame, a ho'lding pawl and anoperating pawl and springs to press said pawlsin en'- gagement Wlllh'Stlld ratchet member, a reci'p-.

ro'cable bar having projections positively engag eable with said pawls, a spring connected Withsaid' bar'adaptedto release said pawls from said ratchet member, and anoscillatory lever linked to saidsoperatingpawh *4. A vehicle jack, including a frame, a ratchet member rotatably supported upon said frame, a lift member operativelyconnected with saidratch-et member, a holding pawl' p-ivotally supported on said frame, an operating suspended to swing opposite said ratchet member and pivotal support of said holding pawl,'each ofsaid pawls having a projecting portion and a controlling-spring,

a longitudinally movable bar slid'ably mount: ed upon said frame having projecting parts positively engageable with the projecting portions on said pawls,fa spring for slidable shifting said bar said frame to effect a'release movement of each pawl, and an oscillatory lever linked to the operating pawl.

5Q A vehicle jack, comprising a frame mounted upon wheels, a rotatable ratchet member supported upon said frame, a load supporting member connected to said ratchet said bar in an inactive position.

6. A vehicle jack, comprising a frame, a rotatable ratchet member mounted upon said frame, a load supporting member connected with said ratchet member, a spring-pressed holding pawl for said ratchet member an operating pawl suspended to swing from said frame, a slidable operating bar longitudinally shiftable within said frame having contact engaging relation with each of said pawls, a spring shifting the bar in one direction, a rod and means for shifting and holding said bar in an opposite direction, an oscillatory lever having a link connection with said operating pawl.

7. A vehicle jack, including a frame, a rotatable ratchet member mounted upon said frame, a load supporting member connected with said ratchet memberand vertically adjustable in respect thereto, holding and operatingpawls for rotating said ratchet memher, a holding device for said adjustable load supporting member, an oscillatory lever mounted upon said frame and connected with said operating pawl, and a single release member engageable with said pawls and said holding device.

8. A vehicle jack, including a frame, a rotatable ratchet member mounted upon said frame, an adjustable and collapsible load sup-. porting member connected with said ratchet member, holding and operating pawls for said ratchet member, an operating lever mounted upon said frame, and connected with said operating pawl and a reciprocable bar slidably mounted upon said frame, said bar including a series of projecting portions cooperating with said pawls and actuating said adjustable load supporting member to automatically collapse said jack and its adjustable load supporting member when free'from the weight of the load.

9. A vehicle jack, including a frame, a ratchet member mounted upon said frame, a load supporting rack bar connected with said ratchet member, apivotal dog on said ratchet member engageable with said rack bar,'a holding pawl and an operating pawl for said ratchet member, an oscillatory lever connected with said operating pawl, a reciprocable bar having portions engageable with said holding and operating pawls and also said dog during lowering movements of the load supporting member, and means to shift said bar into engagement with said pawls and dog to disengage said dog from said load supporting rack bar whereby the rack bar is caused to drop when the load is moved fro-m the supporting member.

10. A vehicle jack, including a frame, a ratchet segment rotatably mounted upon said frame having a rigid arm, means for rotating said segment step by step, a lift member pivotally connected to said arm and to a link hinged to said frame and parallel to said arm, a load supporting rackbar telescoped within said lift member, a pivoted dog engageable withsaid rack bar, and a spring-pressed bar movably supported upon said frame having an extension engageable with said dog when said arm of said ratchet segment is in its lowest position for automatic release of said dog when said lift member is lowered.

11. A vehicle jack, including a: frame, a rotatable ratchet segment supported upon said frame, a lift member connected with said segment, a rack bar telescoped within said lift member, a pivoted dog engageable with said rack bar, a holdingpawl and an operating pawl for said ratchet segment, an oscillatory lever connected with said operating pawl, a reciprocable bar supported upon said frame having contacting portions for each pawl and also said dog, a spring connected with said'bar, and means connected with said lever and the bar for holding saidbar in an inactive position.

12. A vehicle jack, comprising a. wheeled frame, a circular segment rotatably mounted upon said frame having ratchet teeth and a rigid arm, a vertical lift member hinged at its lower end to said arm, a link hinged to said frame and the upper part of said lift member, a rack bar telescoped within said lift member, a pivoted dog engaged with said rack bar having a depending projection, a pivoted holding pawl for said ratchetsegment having a projecting lug, an operating pawl and means to suspend the same fro-m said frame in a swinging position opposite said ratchet segment, said operating pawl having a projection thereon, springs pressing each pawl into contact with said ratchet segment, an oscillatory lever connected with said frame having a crank connection with the swinging suspensory means for said operating pawl, a slidable bar having contact portions engageable with the projections on said pawls, said bar extending into contact position where it may be engaged by the depending projection on said dog duringlowering movements of said lift member, a spring to 2.";

rotatable ratchet member upon said frame,

a load supporting member connected with said ratchet member, a spring actuated holding pawl for said ratchet member pivotally supported upon said frame, a spring actuated operating pawl for said ratchet member suspended from said frame to swing aroundsaid ratchet member, a longitudinally shiftable bar slidably mounted upon said frame, having projections to effect positive contact with said pawls, a spring to control the longitudinal movement of said bar in efiecting a release of said operating pawl from said ratchet member, swinging links pivotally connected with said frame, to suspend said operating pawl, an oscillatory lever pivotally mounted upon said frame having link connection with p said swinging links, a rod connected with said bar extending lengthwise of said lever, and

' means on said lever for locking said rod to 

